Shaft-tug



(No Model.)

J. A. LESH. f

SHA-PT TUG.

No. 487,950. Patented Deo. 13', 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ALBERT LESH, OF MARKELSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHAFT-TUG.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent No. 487,950, dated December 13, 1892. Application filed February 6, 1892. Serial No.420|597. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ALBERT LEsH, of Markelsville, in the county of Perry and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shaft-Tugs, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention is an improvement in shafttugs and seeks to provide a simple construction whereby the inner or belly-band loop may be prevented from becoming detached from the main loop; to provide side guides within the main loop, whereby to prevent any twisting of the inner loop, and to relieve both the inner and outer loops of wear, and to provide a novel construction at the top of the main loop, so that the back strap may be connected therewith without forming any protuberance at the back of the main loop.

The invention has for further objects other improvements; andit consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved shaft-tug. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof on` about line 2,2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on about line3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on about line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a section on about line 5 5 of Fig.

The main loop A is bent from a suitable piece of leather with its ends a. ot brought close to each other, said ends being suitably separated to permit the insertion of the back strap between them. Such back ,strap B is passed down between the ends a a and out through an opening a2 in the end a', and is secured by the buckle b. By thus passing the back strap down between the ends a a and out through the frontstrap of the loop, instead of passing it through both the front and rear strap, I am able to secure the connection of the strap B and loop without the projection, which would otherwise be produced at the rear of the upper end of the loop, so that such loop maybe better conformed at its inner side to the side of the horse. At the same time the connection is so effected that the loop is supported between its front and rear side, and for such reason hangs better than if the back strap were extended along the outer or inner side of such upper end, as will be readily understood. 4At its lower end the main loop is provided with slots or openings C C, separated by an intermediate strip C.

The inner loop D is formed from a strap of leatherlooped within the main loop and passed at its ends down through the openings C, such ends being united below the said openings and connected with or extended to form the belly-band, as shown. By passing the straps of the inner loop .through separate openings C it will be seen that the drawing of such inner loop down out of the main loop is positively prevented. Vithin the main loop I provide side guides E, formed of strips of (leather secured in the loop at the sides thereof and arranged `apart a distance somewhat greater than the lengths of slots C, said side guides E being united at their lower ends by a cross-strip E', which is secured above and reinfcrcesthe strip C and also relieves said strip of' the wear of the shaft, which would otherwise be exerted thereon. The side guides E operate as guides for the inner loop, permitting the latter to adjust up and down in the main loop; but at the same time they prevent any twisting of the said inner loop and insure the arrangement thereof at all times in alignment with the main loop.

Another and an important purpose served by the side guides and'their connecting-strip E is that they receive the wear of the shaft, relieving the main loop of such wear. It will be seen thatthe side strips when worn can be replaced at a slight cost compared with that of replacing the main loop.

To limit the downward movement of the inner loop, so that it will always be sufficiently open to receive the point of the shaft, I provide such loop at its sides with downwardlyfacing stop-shoulders' d, which by abutting the bottom of the main loop limit the downward movement of the inner loop, as will be readily seen. The back strap B, passing down below the straps at a and out through the opening a2, enables the buckle to rest against the main loop instead of against the back strap, and so relieves the latter from the wearing contact with the cross-bar of the ICO buckle. Vhen unhooked from the vehicle, the horse may pass out of the shafts, as the loops Will not bind the shafts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. An improved shaft-tug comprising the main loop having its ends slightly separated at its top and its front strap provided with an opening@2 and formed below said opening to receive the shaft, the strap B, passed down between the ends of the loop and out through the opening a2, and means for securing the strap B to the main loop, all substantially as and for'the purposes set forth.

2. In a shaft-tug, the combination of the main loop, the belly-band strap provided With the inner loop arranged and movable Within the main loop, and guide-strips Within said main loop on opposite sides of and arranged to form edge-guides for the inner loop, Whereby to direct the movements thereof, substantially as set forth.

3, The improved shaft-tug, substantially as described, comprising the inner and `main loops, the inner loop being fitted in the main loop and having its straps or ends movable through the bottom of the main loop and provided at its sides or edges Within the loop With downwardly-facing stop-shoulders, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, in a shaft-tug, With the main loop and the inner loop fitted and movable therein, of the side guides secured in the main loop alongside the inner loop and provided at lthe bottom of the main loop with a con necting-piece extended through the inner loop, substantially as set forth.

5. The improved shaft-tug herein described, consisting of the main loop provided at its bottom with slots C, separated by an intermediate strip C', the inner loop fitted Within the main loop, provided at its sides With stopshoulders cl and having its ends or straps passed through the slots C, and the side guides E, secured in the main loop alongside the inner loop and having the connecting-strip E extended through the inner loop, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN ALBERT LESH. Witnesses:

J. E. JUNKIN, WILLIAM JUNKIN. 

